Adjustable indicator for stove valves



June 10, 1952 M REEVES ADJUSTABLE INDICATOR FOR STOVE VALVES Filed Oct. 31, 1946 Herber-t \Qeeves 424,

Pat ented June 10, 1952 ADJUSTABLE INDICATOR FOR STOVE VALVES Herbert M. Reeves, Kankakee, Ill., assignor to Florence Stove Company, Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 31, 1946, Serial No. 706,915

6 Claims. l

The present invention relates to valve position indicating means for oil stoves and has especial reference to a low fire indicator for use under burner valves of oil cook ranges.

Because the quantity of oil required to maintain a low fire is small, the setting of a valve controlling the supply of oil if a stable low flame is to obtain is comparatively critical. Valves commonly used in oil stoves vary in performance because of individual peculiarities brought about in the process of their manufacture. Further, differences in the oil level will also be reflected in the flow of oil through a particular valve. Thus for each burner the optimum low-fire valve setting must be separately determined by experimentation.

One object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable valve position indicating means for oil stoves, that permits of ready adjustment to indicate a desired low-fire position of each burner valve as may be determined by trial.

A more specific object of the invention lies in the provision of means operatively associated with the stem of a stove burner valve and adjustable independently thereof whereby a desired setting of low-fire valve opening may be shown.

A further object is to provide a device of the aforementioned character which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is simple and sturdy in construction.

The objects of the invention thus set forth, together with other and ancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an oil cook range in which the present invention is incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating the invention as applied to a burner valve of an oil stove.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view showing the elements of the device in the position occupied during adjustment.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the components of the indicator set for operation.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that it is not thereby intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed, but it is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within s 2 the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For, purposes of illustration, the invention has been shown as incorporated in an oil range having a vertical front panel I0 in front of which are located valve handles l2 for controlling the burner valves of the stove. It contemplates the provision of means disengageably connected to the valves to permit independent adjustment thereof for accurate indication of a desired'lowfire setting whereby the valve can be readily reset to that position once it has been determined and the indicator has been adjusted to give such determination.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the preferred form of the invention is there shown as applied to a conventional needle type burner valve having an operating handle [2, a stem I4 and abody I 6. Oil is supplied to the valve from a supply pipe I8 and leaves the valve by the way of a pipe l9.

In the illustrative embodiment, the valve position indicating means comprises a disk 20 rotatably supported behind and adjacent to the stove panel I0. So that the disk 20 will indicate a setting of the valve, a driving connection between the disk and the valve is provided. In the present instance the rotation of the disk is controlled by the rotation of the valve stem. To afford anonslip driving connection between the disk 20 and the valve stem I4, a series of teeth 22 are formed in the peripheral edge of the disk, adapted to intermesh with similar teeth constitutinga pinion gear 24 on the valve stem. Thus whenthe handle I2 on the stem [4 is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the disk 20 will be rotated in a clockwise direction.

Indication of valve setting is given by a radially extending line or mark 26 located on the front surface of the disk 20. So that this mark can be viewed from the front of the panel l0, an opening 28 is provided in the panel which is so fashioned to afford a fixed reference, such as the pointer 29, with which the mark 26 can be alined to accurately set the valve.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the proper setting of the valve is determined by experiment. After its position has thus been determined the indicator must be adjusted to show this position. For this purpose the driving connection between the disk 20 and the valve stem I4 is made disengageable by means readily accessible from in front of the stove burner [0. To this end, the disk 20 has fixed thereto a central operating knob, 30, which extends forwardly through a vertically;-

3 elongated opening 32 in the pane1 I0, and the disk is mounted for movement in a direction transversely of the axis of the valve stem [4 into and out of engagement with the pinion 24 on the valve stem. In the present instance, the disk is mounted on a resiilent support in the form of a U-shaped member 34 of spring wire. One leg 34a of the member 34 extends forwardly through the center of the disk 29 and into a recess 36 in the rear of the knob 35,. Rearwardly of the disk, the leg 34a passes through a verticalslot 31in yieldably against the valve stem pinion 24. Prefa cross bar 38 of the stove frame. The other le 342) also passes through the slot 31 and has its tip bent upwardly and inserted in aslot 39 which 4 said panel and partially viewable therethrough, means fixed to said disk and projecting through said panel to permit adjustment of the position of said disk, yielda-ble means operative to urge said disk against said panel, and said disk having a disengageable driving connection with said stem. 7 g V 4. In a stove having apanel, a burner valve with a rotatable stem projecting through said panel and an elongated opening in said panel adjacent said burner valve stem, an adjustable valveposition indicator comprising, in combination, a disk positioned behind said panel and partially viewable'threthrough, a knob fixed to said disk and-projecting through said elongated panel opening to permit adjustment of the position of erably the disk 29 is held against the rear of the front panel Iii by a compression spring 48 encircling the leg 34a of the support Stand positioned between the disk and the cross bar 88.

The adjustment of the novel indicating device willbe apparent from the foregoing but can be summarized briefly as follows: When the proper low-fireposition for any given valve has been determined by experimentation; the user merely raises the disk 29 by means of'the knob 39 from engagement with the pinion 24 and the valve stem l4 (Fig. 3) and rotates the knob and disk until the mark 26 is alined with the pointer 29. The-knob is then lowered to re-engage the disk with the valve stem pinion in proper indicating relation thereto as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Izclaim as my invention:

'1. In an oil stove having a burner valve with a rotatable stem, an adjustable low-fire valve positi'onindicator comprising, in combination, a disk having teeth on its peripheral edge, 'a pinion on said valve stem, and means operative to hold said disk teeth and said pinion in disengageable driving connection said means being yieldable wherebythe position of said disk can be adjusted independently of said valve stem. 7 2-. In a stove the combination of a panel, a burner valve, a rotatable stem for said valve and an, adjustable low-fire position indicator for said valve including a disk positioned behind said panel andview'able therethrough, means secured to=sa-id disk and projecting through said panel by which the setting of said disk can be adjusted, and resilient holding means operable to urge said disk into driving engagement with said valve stem.

3. In a stove having a panel and'a burner valve with a rotatable stem projecting through said panel, an adjustable valve position indicator comprising, in combination, a disk positioned behind said disk and yieldable holding means operative to urge said disk in driving engagement with said valve stem, said means and said knob operating to permit movement of said disk into and out of engagement with said valve stem.

5 ,In' a stove a brace member and a burner valve with a rotatable stem located adjacent said brace member, an adjustable valve position indicating means comprising, in combin'atioman'indicator disk having a recess thereinfand yieldable holding means'operative to'urge said disk in driv= ing engagement with said valve stem, said holding means including a U--sh'aped length of resilient Wire having one of its legs passing through said brace and inserted in said'disk recess, and having its other leg secured to said brace member in a manner'toprevent turning of the holding means. i f 6. In a'stove, a burner valve with a rotatable stem and an adjustable valve position indicator comprising, in combination, indicating means including a gear element and yieldable holding means operative to urge said gear element in driving engagement with said valve stem, s'aid holding means comprising'a resilient U shaped member having a fixed leg and a movable leg, said gear element being supported'on the'movable HERBERT M. REEVES.

REFERENCES err-En The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED sTATEs A 

